Lamb of God
by Saciel
Summary: Izumi is in a psychiatry, Koji seems dead... but something is wrong, nothing is as it seems... what is really happened? Can Izumi recover?


Title: The Lamb of God 

Author: Saciel

Archive: yes, please mail me where 

Fandom: Bronze- Zetsuai

Pairing: Koji/Takuto

Theme: Izumi is in a lunatic asylum, it seemed to be clear that it comes to this…. But nothing is as it

seems to be. Surprise yourself, this story takes 16 pages!

Disclaimer: Koji, Takuto and Katsumi as like all other characters of "Bronze" are owned by Minami

Ozaki. I own none of them! Also, I earn no money with this story. Kenji is a character made by

myself, an OC, but I hope he is a good one. Well, I needed him because I can't imagine one

of the canon characters for his role.

Comment: I'm no native English speaker and this is the first fiction I translated to English, maybe you

notice wrong grammar or strange vocabularies, although I tried to make it fluently. Because

I want to become a translator, so it would be nice if you would leave me some reviews if you

find any mistakes (or just like the story ;) ), thanks in advance.

Warnings: Alternative end of the story after the 7th volume.

**Nothing's gonna Change the Word, Nothing's gonna Change**

(Inspired by: The Lamb of God – Marilyn Manson)

He sat there, wearing a straitjacket.

In a cold, white cell which were tessellated with pads.

Just the way it should be in a 'nuthouse', the patients shouldn't hurt themselves.

He sat there, agitated, crying.

The door were opened.

A male-nurse came in.

He had a syringe in his hand.

"I don't want this…" Takuto whispered.

The male-nurse didn't care. After the injection he was quiet, falling into a calm, dark sleep.

The nurse quitted.

"Why does he get those injections?" Kenji asked the ward physician.

"Everytime he gets those cramps, it could be that he gets a lung- spasm and dies from it -only ONE example." he responded.

"But why do you ignore him in this way?" asked Kenji- he wanted to know more details.

"Mr. Izumi is very, very sick, Kenji. He is passed through many things one can hardly imagine, I can understand that he wanted to lose his sanity."

"He wanted it?"

"He took an overdose sleeping pills which caused damages on his brain. There is no use of talking to him- he doesn't understand.

Kenji glanced affected to the button of the observing-room where they were standing.

"But… maybe I can try to contact him?

The ward physician looked taxing at him "Kenji…. I know you are new here, but that doesn't mean that your methods are newer. We have the latest techniques but we had no success. Everytime we tried to therapy Mr. Izumi he began to cry or fall into hysterical laughter."

Kenji thought about that. "Let… let me try it, talk to the chief physician, at least consider it, please!."

"Hmhm…" muttered the ward physician "I'll talk to him… but don't give anything to it. Izumi is a hopeless case!"

If you anaesthetise him every time… sure! thought Kenji and looked after the ward physician continuing his ward round.

Kenji was up to find more information about this mysterious Takuto Izumi.

A few days later:

Izumi laught all the time during the night and cried now for more than a half hour, but contrary to his expectations nobody entered his cell.

Nobody.

Kenji had given the instruction to the nurses to deny him every anaesthetic until he arrive.

9 o'clock, the padded cell opened, no male-nurse entered- this realized Izumi immediately. Was it a doctor?

Since his committal he hasn't seen one…

Izumi waited for the moment when he were sedated one more time, but the moment didn't came.

Yosuke Kenji, a 26 years old slim man with black hair on shoulder length and green eyes- so obviously no blooded Japanese, sat down not more than one yard in front of him. At the same time he watched Takuto curiously. The young man with the brown hair and the wild dark eyes watched him, too.

He doesn't seem to be as moony as they said thought Kenji.

He smiled friendly "Good morning Mr. Izumi. How are you?"

The sobbing hushed.

Takuto stared at Kenji like he was a mooncalf.

"You can see me?" he whispered unbelieving.

"Sure" answered Kenji "Why shouldn't I?"

On the basis of his experience he had expected an answer like "I am an angel" or "I am invisible!", but that wasn't the case.

Izumi drooped "For the nurses I am invisible" he whispered rough.

"For the nurses?"

"Of course for the nurses! They come continuously to calm me down, you should know that, doc."

Or not. Izumi didn't knew if Kenji was new or maybe had worked for years at this psychiatry.

Kenji wondered about that what he was listening to. "My name is Kenji, do you know where you are?"

Izumi nodded "Psychiatry, asylum, nuthouse…. However you want to call it."

"Okay, Takuto. I've heard your case is hopeless, but I don't believe that. Do you want to help yourself by helping me?"

"Ah, I'll try my best, doc"

"Well, beginning with your leg… what happened?"

" I had an accident on the long field, it destroyed my knee"

"Fascinating" noticed Kenji "But why didn't heal it? You had it for 3 years."

"I don't know" said Takuto, he knew that it was a lie, he knew exactly why, but the questions became awkward to him.

Kenji scrolled through his file "What do you know about Koji Nanjo?"

Hearing this, Takuto got out of hand, he looked glass-eyed at Kenji.

"Koji Nanjo? Koji… Nan…jo?"

He began to giggle and then hysterically to laugh.

"He doesn't exists! He'd never existed! I've invented him, you know that! HA!"

"Of course, I know that." Kenji said. He waited patiently for Takuto to calm down, but he didn't. At last he had to call a nurse with a sedative.

At 12:15 o'clock he left the cell The first flop .

Dreaming sequence:

"Takuto! Kick it!"

"You want it? You can get it!"

"Not so fast!"

"Three players of the opposing team catch around him, Takuto try to break out but…"

"ARGH!"

"A loud crack in the air, Takuto lies down on the field!"

Fuck!

"Paramedics!"

"Lay down quietly, Takuto!"

"Break!"

"Where does it hurt?"- "My knee…"

"They carry Takuto Izumi on a barrow from the field!"

"Takuto! Takuto! Are you alright!"

"Of course! Let me out of here I want to win this game!"

"Are you crazy?"

crazy? Mad!

"Where is he?"

"There!"

"You can't play soccer for at least a year! You have to rest!"

"This can't be true!"

"We lost, I'm sorry Captain…"

Lost…

"Your ARM!"

"It is just cosmetically…"

Arm... cosmetically... BRAKE!

"The man is crazy!"

"Call an ambulance!"

"Oh my God, KOJI!"

"Serika, stay here!"

"I hear a siren!"

"I'm sorry but you mustn't go in"

No… not… so many blood, blood, everywhere is blood….

"Koji is dead, Serika…"

"I don't believe that! No!"

"He… is dead… that liar…"

"What is with his hip?"

"The wound! It hurts!"

Death. Koji Nanjo is dead… DEAD!

"Just a few minutes ago we get the message that the pop-singer Koji Nanjo died on his injuries after an accident. We…"

"Oh my God, how cruel!"

"It is terrible, Katsumi…"

Terrible.

"I go now, it is the best for us all"

"Takuto, please, don't go! Stay! Please!"

"It is the best, believe me, Serika"

_I thank you_.

End of dreaming sequence.

What happened on that day?

Kenji sat with this thought at his desk, full of files, magazines and newspapers.

"Takuto had a sad childhood, his mother killed his father and twelve years after it herself" wrote Kenji on his note.

"As it seems he had an affair with the former gothic-star Koji Nanjo…" his face showed a meditative expression.

"Who changed later to another style of music with his band called "Kreuz""

How interesting… that was sarcasm.

"Koji Nanjo lost his left arm, it was his sword arm"

Note: Master in Akaido, Kendo and Karate.

"A short time later Takuto were hurted in a soccer game. With this knee…he shouldn't play soccer for at least one year and that at the top of his career."

Kenji shook his head "What happened, Izumi?"

He looked for an evidence in his files and found a piece of a newspaper:

'July 28th - Koji Nanjo were strucked by the car of a driver who seemed to be drunk in Okinawa. He lies with heavy Head- and Lunginjuries in the St. Mercy Hospital, his status is critical.'

"I can guess what's next…"

'July 29th – According to his manager, Koji Nanjo died today morning at 6 o'clock from his injuries. The family didn't want to comment this. Some people say that it wasn't an accident but an assassination, the police follows that rumours. Dolefulness goes through the lines of his fans and the people who were close to him'

"Aw… Izumi should've had a therapy long time before…"

'August 2nd - The police knows that the driver was NOT drunken, it was actually a case of assassination. The police has a lot of suspects but no traces. The assassin committed suicide at Sunday morning with a pin of poison. How he got the poison is not known.'

'August 5th - The file Koji Nanjo is closed'

Kenji lay his face down to his hands A very difficult case… too many details… too many unknowns…

His gaze fell at the patient-file 'younger sister Serika and brother Yuugo Izumi' He looked up I should them… yes, maybe they could help me

Two nurses were talking outside on the floor:  
"The doctor is in there for hours…"

"Yes, he seems to be obsessed by this Izumi"

"Is that alright? I have never seen that someone worries that much of a patient and his history, it's like in a thriller novel!"

"Right… the case is open for years!"

3 days later:

The flat of Serika and Yuugos adoptive parents:

Serika felt not very well, she had a cold for months (!), Yuugo looked pale- he came just from school.

They had lunch and were now cleaning the dishes.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Serika, please open the door!"

"Yes Mom!" she answered and shambled to the front-door.

When she opened, she saw a handsome stranger, in the middle of his twenties.

"My name is Yosuke Kenji, I attend your brother… may I enter?"

Serika looked to her parents with a special question in her eyes.

Her father nodded shortly "Can you prove your identity?"

"Of course" answered Kenji and fetched out his display.

Serika let him in.

"Please, sit down" said Serikas mother and pointed at the sofa.

Kenji sat down and sighed, wanted to start talking but the father interrupt him in the same second.

"What do you want? The maintenance charges are paid, aren't they?"

Kenji shook his head "Of course, but that isn't the reason why I'm here. I wanted to talk to you and especially to Serika. About Takuto Izumi, you know, as long you can deal with it"

Serikas sickness was obvious to Kenji, all eyes lay on her and were waiting for her respond.

She drooped and hesitated, some seconds gone by, but at last she wanted to talk with Kenji.

"Okay, I have read Takutos file very carefully. Principally he is healthy man and has a 99 chance on the therapy, if he led somebody help him. He has suffered a trauma. I know that Takuto is connected to Koji Nanjo, I've investigated, but I found no direct coherence. It will be a pleasure to me if you could help me to find out more, led me help Takuto to break out of his prison which he builded by himself. I guess he is it worth, isn't he?"

Silence.

"Would you like to answer me a few questions?"

Silence again.

Serika looked up and requested her parents to leave them alone.

After they left, she looked in his eyes "What… do you want to know?"

Kenji took his notepad and his biro to make notes.

"Takuto Izumi and Koji Nanjo… what connected them?"

Serika searched for the right words, then she just said "They were a couple."

A couple! thought Kenji "…lovers?"

"Yes."

Kenji wrote some notes "What was Takutos meaning of Nanjo?"

"At the beginning he didn't liked him because he caused the trouble about our family tragedy, but I think… in the end he loved him, I am sure…"

Serika didn't felt well talking about those things with a man she didn't knew.

But if it helped her brother…

Kenji bit on his biro "And Nanjo?"

Serika looked away "He loved him more than anything else in the world. He followed him everywhere he went, he was there for him, ever. He was obsessed."

"Takuto loved soccer, how about Nanjo? Did he liked soccer?

"I don't know… I think he was jealous at it. But to impress Izumi he read much and became a really expert"

"Uhm, okay…. Please answer me one more question, maybe you are interested in…"

One week later…

Izumi felt much better, he still got seizures from time to time, but they weren't as bad as before.

Kenji can't connect to Izumi longer than a few minutes, Izumi blocked him.

But the doctor had a plan, he wanted to try it until Friday - the day of the big surprise!

Ward round:

"How are you today, Takuto?"

Izumi looked sleepy to Kenji, he hadn't slept tonight.

"Not as good as it could be…"

Kenji looked in his file for the next patient. The ward physician stayed outdoor and observed the meeting just as the ones before.

He couldn't hear what they said.

Izumi began to cry a few minutes later, Kenji ignored that fact and didn't leave the cell as the times before, shaking his head he sat down beside Izumi.

"Takuto… why do you start to cry at such a question?"

"It…" mumbled Izumi "It is just not real…"

"Not real?" Kenji lifted one eyebrow "Why is it not real? I think it seems to be very real, if not, I wouldn't miss my daily morning coffee."

He tried to distract him. It was successful- Izumi smiled for a moment.

"So… why is it 'not real'?"

Takuto smiled again- but it looked more like a torture.

""I can't tell if I'm not making up all this stuff here after all, ya know, Doc!"

Kenji was shocked "You think you invited this world! Tell me more than just one sentence!"

"No."

Kenji sighed "Okay… " Not for today… but I'll find out what makes life for you unbearable.

Friday:

A car arrived at the clinic.

A young woman wearing a silken bandanna and sunglasses dropped out, took leave and entered the clinic.

She inquired about the station at the reception and took the lift to station 5.

She walked slowly and insecure through the floor, knocked at the one of the small station office and was asked to come in.

"Serika! I'm happy that you decided to come here!" said Kenji sitting in a chair.

"At first I didn't want to come, because I felt ill, but then I decided that I have to come here, for my brother."

Kenji nodded "In my opinion it was the only right decision. Sit down, please, we have to talk about a lot of things…"

…….

One hour later, time to therapy!

The door of Takutos "Cell" opened normally never at this time, but today she did.

Kenji entered "Hey Takuto, are you alright?"

"Hey Doc…. You again…" Izumi seemed to be in a bad mood.

That is a good sign, he had nothing like moods for a long time…. thought Kenji.

"You have a visitor, Takuto"

"A visitor? I? Who would visit me?"

"Come in…" Kenji mumbled through the door and pulled a young girl with him.

"Hi… Takuto.." said Serika quietly, fighting back her tears.

"S…S-Serika! SERIKA!" shouted Takuto and tried slowly to stand up, but he wasn't able. "Come to me, please!"

Serika looked inquiring at Kenji, he just nodded Please, do nothing stupid now, Takuto…

Serika went to Takuto and embraced him, Takuto stood quiet with no signs of convulsions. Serika started to cry "Takuto, you recognize me… I'm so happy…"

Kenji smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

Takuto couldn't move in his straitjacket and so he had no other choice than led his little sister hug him almost to death.

Serika remembered their last meeting… he was convulsed and even when he just saw her he screamed "You don't exist!". It was hard to fight with the feelings which tortured her since that day, and she hadn't visited him anymore.

Kenji saw the ward physician running down the floor in his direction, he was sure to see some kind of foam in front of his mouth.

"Serika, you have to go now, but if you want and Takuto strain himself I promise that you two can see each other more often."

Serika led her brother go with a heavy heart and Kenji lead her out through the door.

The ward physician snorted like a rhino, but when he saw Izumi, he lend himself at the wall and tried to calm down, counted to 10 and went away just like as he had never seen something.

The slim girl was seated into the doctors room. She should wait there until Kenji returned, who wanted to get the result of his 'Shock Therapy'.

"I knew that you would come back, doc"

"I imagined that. Now, are you willing to talk to me?"

"I am not sure…" Takuto smiled quietly… TOO quietly.

"BUT?" Kenji said serious, he lost his patience.

"Okay, OKAY!" screamed Takuto "I say it…" he stated in a normal tone.

"It's that way… my life was always normal, if you consider the circumstances- it had it's borders. But then comes somebody and jumble it!"

"Koji Nanjo?"

"Yes!" he looked up and started again:

"He… because of him my life lost grip, everything what it had to do with 'reality'. Soon I knew not even more who I am and what I am, and then it became worse…"

"The point you gone insane?"

"No… it became better. Life seemed to be wonderful in spite of the circumstances… Koji had lost his left arm and I had hurted myself once again but we were happy… for a short time… just a moment in life…we thought that all things would be alright. I wanted to be a professional soccer player but then… the injury. That was not the problem if there hadn't been… this.. assassin. Koji is dead now…." It hurted, Kenji saw it, but Takuto didn't wanted to show it and Kenji didn't ask about it.

"You believe it was a assassin?"

"I am sure… I think I am sure. It is crazy… all that stuff… and then… then my world collapsed. I awoke and didn't know where I am and who were those people around me, I didn't recognize my own siblings!" He got upset "When it became worse, I came here voluntarily. But nobody helped me, NOBODY!"

Izumi was angry and Kenji tried to calm him "Please calm down, Takuto. You will get a fit!"

"YEAH! A fit!" Takuto screamed "However! You have no idea how it is to sit around here for two years! Why! Why had nobody helped me, I was here! Everytime! I am here! My memory of the last years a ludicrous. I can't remember the last Sunday!" Tears ran down his cheek, he collapsed.

Kenji cleaned the face of the boy in front of him with a handkerchief, Takuto didn't recognize him anymore.

Now I know what I have to do, it's obvious… thought Kenji and quitted the cell to call a nurse.

Some time later he entered the room in which Serika sat and told her his results.

" I called you a cab. Be careful on your way home."

"I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Kenji…"

"It is my job, please come back soon."

"Yes…"

The cab already waited outside.

Serika looked back once again, but then drove away with the cab.

She didn't see the tall man with the long, black coat and the glittering sunglasses. She also didn't see how he watched her.

The wind blew him his blonde, shoulder lenght hair into his face. Then he got in his expensive but inconspicuous black car.

The sky was dark and the weather was stormy.

A very bad weather lay over Tokyo. An emerald coloured Mitsubishi drove towards a grand manor, which was coloured in dark tones that made even the magnificent forecourt look bleak.

Kenji got off the car, rain slapped into his face. He ran with a mini umbrella, saving himself from the rain, over the long court into the house.

Inside everything and everybody looked busy- the working people, the many clocks, the sound of keyboards on which were typed…

Kenji shut his umbrella and putted it into the designated pillar.

The clean, even walls of black marble made the floor looking scary and Kenji felt uncomfortable.

The big clock on the floor made suddenly noise- it was 17 o'clock.

Kenji went into the office of Hirose Nanjo, where he was welcomed by the secretary "Just one moment, please. Mr. Nanjo will greet you in a few minutes."

Kenji waited for 5 minutes, then appeared the owner of this office, house, concern- Hirose Nanjo.

The man was really scary… tall, light blonde hair, a cold face with gimlet-eyes, he sat there with folded arms.

That means ' I don't like you' thought Kenji.

A sneer could be seen on Hiroses face- just a whiff of adumbration.

Hirose was up to start talking: "You are the doctor who handle with Izumi at the moment?"

"Assistant doctor, yes"

" I heard that his status became better, is that right?"

Kenji sat himself accurate, he knew something wasn't right with this man, his eyes were saying that. "Yes, but how do you know? Nobody knew that but the ward physician" he said suspicious.

"Well, Mr. Kenji, I have my sources and I won't tell you them." He sneered again, more obviously.

"However, you wanted a full finding, if I didn't misunderstand you. How dare you that I would abjure my professional discretion!"

Kenji was ready to defend himself.

Hirose looked cold at Kenji, like he want to kill him with his eyes.

"For your information, Mr. Kenji, my concern spend a lot of money to your hospital. I think you shouldn't risk the absence of this money… you could loose your work"

This threat would have had an effect to anybody… but not to Kenji, he stood up.

"You want to blackmail me, not only me, the whole hospital? You will have no success. I don't know what you really want, but you will never harm me, you understand?"

Anger was shown in Hiroses eyes and Kenji left the building as quickly as possible. He got in his Mitsubishi and drove through the rain away.

The umbrella stayed in the house, water dropped on the clean button, until a puddle accrued. Hiroses face with a victorious smile was mirrored in it.

"Inform Sunyet, we should get rid of him."

"Yes, Mr. Nanjo" his secretary nodded and left the room.

Tuesday morning, 10:54 am.

Busy steps on the grey- green floor of the psychiatry.

Shit, I'm late! thought Kenji was walking along the corridor, while browsing through his files.

Then he was jostled by a male-nurse near the leaf-green painted glass door.

"Oh, sorry" he mumbled just interrupted in his thoughts, the male-nurse only grumbled and pulled his dark braid back under his cap.

Kenji looked suspicious after the strange man, he had never seen him before. But he dissembled that fact.

Kenji began with his ward round.

The white doors opened and shut, opened again and shut again.

Everytime the same, most of the patients on this station weren't approachable. Only a few rooms then he would reach Takutos cell, however, first he wanted to take a break but again there was that unknown male-nurse in front of him, he didn't take note of Kenji.

Yosuke Kenji entered the doctor room, it was smoky because the windows were closed but the ward physician demanded on smoking his cigar. His grey, light hair was tousled, must have had a wild night. Kenji grinned.

"Good morning Mr. Tokishima" greeted Kenji friendly with a mocking honey-sweet voice.

"Morning Yosuke" grumbled he, reading a magazine. How could anybody be in such a good mood at the morning?

"Can you tell me if we have a new male-nurse on our station?"

" A new nurse!" said Tokishima "No, I know nothing about a new nurse, we haven't even money for our actual nurses!"

Kenji looked at the emptied floor.

"But there was a male-nurse I never seen before."

Tokishima looked at Kenji with questions in his eyes "I know nothing about a new male-nurse. Nobody introduced himself, I thought, the nurses are in the break at this time?"

Kenji became pale at the moment he heard the sound of an opening door, Izumi's door.

"Call the police!" he screamed to the ward physician, running through the door.

Kenji flew through the floor, so that his white gown streamed.

He heard a shocking yell from Izumis cell, the door was open!

When he reached he saw the 'male- nurse' with a gun pointing at Izumi.

Kenji thought no more and jumped with all his strength…

Just at this moment the assassin fired at Izumi, but Kenji reached the killer and adumbrated him, so the shot was redirected.

Takuto yowled.

Two strong male-nurses and the ward physician approached. They could only watch how Kenji banged away Sunyets weapon, but the man had exemplary fighting skills.

He knocked Kenji down and recaptured his gun. Then he rushed outwards, aiming his gun at the nurses and at Tokishima without another turn.

Slowly Kenji awoke, he had a laceration on his head but ignored it.

"Izumi! Is he okay!" He tried to stand up but he wasn't able to.

Tokishima helped him to get on his feet, at the same time the male-nurses handled with Izumi. "He has a shot right through his shoulder, inform station 3!"

"Straight away"

At the evening Takuto could be visited in a zoned area of the surgery station.

Kenji came by.

"How are you, Takuto?"

"Fine, it is great my shoulder were perforated…"

"Hm…" mumbled Kenji, something was fishy in this affair.

"Takuto why would anybody set a killer on you? Can you tell me why?"

Takuto looked to the window "No, I don't know why…doc? How about me? Which day is today?"

Kenji smiled "Tuesday. What should I say… we can talk together, it is only a question of time, the decision is yours."

Izumi led his head fall back down into the pillow and closed his eyes. "I want to get out of here, doc…. I can't take it any longer. I want to see the sun, to feel… I want to play soccer! If this world is real or not, I want to live again, I WANT to get cured" he looked inquiring at Kenji, whose lowered his head and smiled:

"This is up to you, Takuto. Only you can cure yourself, I just show you the way…"

Takutos therapy went on during he lay at station 3, his status improved, and when he was laid in the psychiatry, too.

Kenji was happy about that, even through Izumi was in a bad mood from time to time.

Today was the day Izumis bandage were taken off, during this process Kenji entered the room.

"Takuto, get ready, you'll move today."

Takuto looked up "Move? Where and why?"

"Into a…. more 'normal' room, we need your cell for more serious cases, we will get some new patients in the next time and.. your status is good enough so you can move out, congratulations" Kenji beamed with joy.

Takuto seemed so, too, although he didn't smiled really.

He entered his new room in the evening, bed, armoire, bath, a table, chairs…

Wow, I haven't seen these things in a long time…

"But… what should I do with the armoire? I have nothing." He said to Kenji.

"Your sister wanted to come today afternoon and bring you some of your old clothes. You are observed, don't forget that."  
Takuto got some pills against the seizures. If it helped… that remains to be seen.

The next days were quiet.

Takuto were given a mass of pottage, if he asked for Kenji, he was just ignored.

At last Kenji stood in the door of his room.

"There you are again… where have you been?" asked he the doctor.

"I was at the police and sued Hirose Nanjo" told Kenji.

"Hirose Nanjo?"

"Yeah, I guess he has set the killer on you. That killer is known as Sunyet Usuwake, Lee, Young, Matsuka, he has many names… and you really don't know what he wants?"

"No… I know nothing…"

5 months later

Although the police determinations and the given evidence by two doctors and male-nurses, Hirose Nanjo couldn't be evidenced and Sunyet was still on the loose, probably he left Japan longest.

Serika visited Takuto regularly .

The hospital was in a need of money, because of the missing contributions of the Nanjo Concern. Of course, the patients and the interns didn't know about.

Izumis status was stable, the medicaments had effect, in the last five months he had fewer than 20 seizures.

The reason because he was pacing around were that he might go outside for the first time for years.

His first outgoing, only through the park near the hospital accompanied by two male-nurses and Kenji.

The door opened and Kenji came in "Are you ready?"

"Not at all.." Takuto responded, he wore a short and a chemise, sneakers, just like when he had played soccer… a long time ago. But it was not that warm outside, so he got on a jacket, too.

Outside the sun was shining, the sky blue with little fleecy clouds and a fresh breeze moved the trees.

Takuto led his face warm up by the sun "Sun, at last sun again.." he smiled.

They walked through the park, the trees were in bloom and so was Takuto.

He was happy that he could breath fresh air, Kenji was sorry about that the outgoing took only thirty minutes.

A young woman, probably around 25 years old came to meet them on a parkway. When she saw Takuto she stared at him and walked to the group "You are Takuto Izumi, which was in the newspapers so many times, aren't you?" she said cheeky, but the male-nurses drove her away- contact was forbidden.

Takuto had loved to talk to her, but had no choice.

After further 15 minutes the outgoing ended and they went back to the hospital.

The woman was still in the park, she smiled and searched for a callbox where she chipped in a lot of money.

"Information? Yes! Could you connect me under the following number with the USA? Many thanks!"

She waited some time, chipped more coins into the phone and lighted a cigarette.

"Agent Bravo-Capri" she said amused about the silly name, "Where have you been so long? What I want? Do you think I use so much money for a joke! I have very, very hot information for the boss, yeah, please just connect me with him, I have no time for loitering."

She smoked almost the whole cigarette when she heard a voice at the phone.

"Ah, Boss!" she giggled "Yeah, it's me and yes, I have it! In the case of Takuto Izumi. Don't scream at me! Exactly. I know where he is… what l'll get if I tell you what I know? Yes? Fine! Pff, if you travel here or not, the main thing is I get the money. Okay, he is…."

When she hung up and smiled "It is a lot of fun playing detective".

One day later in a plane to Japan.

Soft music of a long forgotten Japanese singer sounded from the headphones of a discman.

The man wearing the headphones sat pressed into the armchair and stared trough the window into the emptiness outside.

His eyes were covered with dark blue sunglasses.

"Another tea, Sir?" asked a stewardess but the man shook his head, he was lost in thoughts. Izumi… you are still alive…

Two hours later at the airport:

A young man with blond coloured hair walked upset down the hall, his anger was obvious. The man from the plane took off his headphones and swarmed himself trough the crowd which wanted to get off the plane.

His eyes were wandering around when he looked abrupt in a very angry face.

He just smirked "Oh, Hi Katsumi."

Shibuya was furious and pulled the man with him. "Hi Katsumi! Is this all? Do you know how much money it had taken to accomplish you to the USA? And then you fly that easy back and endanger yourself! Are you nuts?"

"Calm down, man…. I had to come, now that I know where he is"

Katsumi looked at him awry "How do you know?"

"I have engaged a… 'Detective'"

They left the airport in a hurry.

In an office somewhere in Tokyo:

Katsumi sat nervous in an easy chair at his desk and baled his fists.

"Okay, well, I can't bar you from that, but please tell me how do you want to get up to"

Koji smiled "Some very, very difficult… I go to visit him!"

Katsumi became pale "You're really nuts" He stared at the grinning Koji and drooped "Why am I asking!"

"I know that it isn't easy"

"Not easy? That is slightly understated, or not? It was that expensive to buy you a new identity! And now you throw it away!"

Koji looked at him with an ice-cold glare.

"Katsumi, we thought for years that Izumi is DEAD. If he thought the same of me… I wasn't that annoying to him like he said, just in the last few months he had shown me that he… I can take him out of that asylum! I can meet him again… can't you understand me!"

Shibuya shook his head "From the beginning you were a miracle to me. Do what you want, I know that I take the can for it again…"

Koji stood up and moved to the door, turned around just before he reached it "I thank you, Katsumi" he said and quitted.

Katsumi pounded at the table If you could have seen how you looked at me…just like then.

Kenji was satisfied with Takutos behaviour and there was a second outgoing, and a third, and a fourth- this one here.

They walked slowly through the park again, Takuto perked up, he read soccer-magazines and newspapers, he knew all about the topical soccer.

During the outgoing he talked with Kenji and the nurses about the actual games and teams, then he stood suddenly still.

"Have you heard that?"

"What?" asked a nurse.

"Something was rustling"

"We are in a park, there is often something rustling" laughed Kenji.

"But… it was strange… you are right…" they walked on.

They can't see that indeed something was moving in the shrub.

A young man between 19-21 years slunk through the brushwood.

He had a Walter precision rifle and tried to slink through the shrubs as soundless as possible, but the brushwood was not really accessible.

Takuto and company sat down on a park bench and talked about Koizumi- no, not the president but an up-and-coming trainee for the Japanese soccer.

The young man aimed at Takuto, had him in his bullseye.

He didn't noticed the wasp scrambling up his neck.

Wanting to shoot, his muscles just moved when the wasp pricked him- so the man draught his shoot because of the sudden pain.

The bullet flew short of Takutos nose and hit a tree.

Kenji and the nurses ducked themselves immediately and pulled Izumi with them.

The man jumped out the shrub and wanted to shoot again, but then there was a bang and the weapon was shot out his hand.

"Freeze! You are apprehended!" shouted a young woman's voice and beneath the killer appeared a second policeman.

The killer threw himself against the policewoman who shot in that moment of danger and hit his leg.

A short time after that the man was arrested.

Takuto was still shocked "WHAT the hell is going on here!"

Kenji glared at Takuto "You have been given under police protection, I knew that Nanjo would try to kill you once again. Forgive me that I didn't say something about it, but that was necessary."

Takuto shook his head, they went back to the hospital and led the police do their job.

Dreaming sequence:

Takuto?

Yes?

Have you heard that sound?

What?

There!

No…

There was a bang!

What is with his hip?

Good luck!

Thanks.

I love you

Hm. I know.

You can't play for a year?

Yes

I'm sorry

Liar.

Maybe…. I love you Izumi.

Hm. I love you, too

Draw aside!

Too late!

Call an ambulance!

How is he?

His skull is crashed.

Doctor! A case of emergency!

I'm sorry.

Koji…

Stay here! You CAN'T…!

Stop him!

Serika run after him!

Takuto? What happened? Come here, stand up!

Takuto?

…. Who are you?

Takuto!

Takuto scared up from sleep "I KNOW it!" He led fall himself back to the cushions, devitalised from the dream, just into the next REM-phase.

"Good morning!" said one annoying good tempered voice.

Takuto blinked "Huh?"

"I said: Good morning Takuto"

"Ah… Yosuke…"

"That's the first time you don't call me "Doc""

"You don't like it? well, you was the one introducing your christian name"

"It is okay. I have good news for you" Kenji opened the curtains, so that the sunshine could touch Takutos face.

"What news?"

"Hirose Nanjo was arrested."

"What!" finally…

"Yes, the assassin he hired has snitched on him"

"Ah." He deserves it

"You needn't to brim over with enthusiasm for that…"

"Huh? However…it is… I had a dream this night… other than the ones before… it.. was a memory!"

"A memory? About what?"

"The Assassination."

"Of course, it was only a few days ago."

Takuto shook his head "No, not at me, the assassination at Koji Nanjo"

Kenji startled "Oh.. and… how do you do?"

"I don't know… I have completed with Koji…"

"Talk as I can understand"

"I…" he followed his memory "It was in the hospital, the doctor said to me that… that Koji died. I was sad and disappointed of the world, I ran outside, right into Hirose Nanjo and the man he was talking to. I recognized he was the man who knocked over Koji- wilfully! Hirose slapped at my head and said ' One word through your mouth and you wouldn't survive!' then the world became dark to me. The next thing I remember is about Katsumi Shibuya, a friend of Koji and me, he wanted to bring me to the psychiatry, because I wanted it." He ended thoughtfully.

Kenji said nothing for a time, he had to work with that.

Why would Nanjo say something like that? This is not his kind of handling things, to careless, but…

"Takuto, we know no Katsumi Shibuya, you were brought here by your cousin, Kurauchi."

Takuto frowned "I HAVE no cousin!"

"I see the things clearly now" whispered Kenji "Takuto, you probably have to appear in court and give evidence. With this information it would have been predictable that Nanjo make sure something would happen to you…."

Sometime later in a court:

The room was filled, the assassin convicted the try of murder.

Today was Hirose in the dock.

"Subornation of murder up to 3 cases!"

The judge was Hijiro Konsaka, he had good reputation, but not for culprits….

They had very good chances.

Yosuke Kenji and Takuto Izumi were sitting together with some other people on the witness box.

The bigger part of the hearing was over.

The viewers were magnetised of the tension in the room, how would the judge decide?

Nanjo had a perfect alibi, there were the witnesses and the assassin but ONLY Izumis deposition was dangerous for him.

The prosecutor had inquired that there were no tapes, no recordings, nothing what could have given evidence of the happenings on that day, just Izumis deposition.

Hirose needn't to be handcuffed, one fact that Kenji didn't really liked. This man, he thought, seeing these icy eyes, was capable of doing everything.

He's into something! thought Kenji Please God, … he must be found guilty!

A door opened and the jury came in, they gave the ballots to the judge, from now on it was the turn of Konsaka which judgement was given. The seconds grew to hours for Takuto and Kenji.

Then Hijiro Konsaka stood up "It follows the judgement: The Judge found Hirose Nanjo guilty of subornation of murder in 3 cases. We sconce Mr. Nanjo to the term of imprisonment about 20 years and to pay a compensation for non-pecuniary damage of 200.000 Yen" (That are 15.000 €).

Hiroses lawyer whispered to him: "Don't worry, we file an appeal …"

"No… they can't jail me.. that's impossible…" he mumbled to himself, staring tensed at the desk in front of him.

The judge thumped with his gavel up a wooden disk "The hearing is closed, march off the detainees!"

A constable wanted to grab Hirose and he whacked out: "You CAN'T jail me! You can't! Not as long as he lives!"

He didn't knew anymore what he did, he aimed a weapon at Takuto- the madness could be seen in his gimlet eyes.

Shit, whence he got the gun! Takuto thought, he was sure it was his last…

"You die! Now!" Screamed the otherwise so cold leader of a big concern.

"NO!" somebody called through the room.

A young man with long fairy hair, sunglasses and a coat lunged at Hirose pulling the trigger at that moment – and so he missed.

"You bugger never do him any harm anymore!"

Hirose looked cold and he smiled a kind of insane when he were handcuffed and lead away by policemen: "Are you really thinking you can win again, Koji? You can't, you never will! **I** win, I'm the better one of us, Koji! **I** will win, ever!"

"MARCH HIM OFF! NOW!" shouted Konsaka, so Hirose was imprisoned…

With the help of the police the depleting courtroom became quiet again.

Takuto stand there statuesque and gazed to the young man who saved his live.

Kenji hadn't the heart to say something.

Was this man Koji Nanjo? How would Takuto react? He worried when Takuto was up to say something: "K…Koji?"

He turned around slowly and took off his sunglasses. "Yes, I'm back Izumi."

Takuto didn't knew what happened when he was seized by the dizziness "That… that… that can't be… can't be…"

Then he collapsed, Kenji caught him just then.

Koji jumped beside him "What… what is with him?" he looked at Kenji.

"It was too much for him…"

1 hour 36 minutes later.

Place: Izumis room

Present: Takuto and Kenji

Topic: Meeting with Koji

Topical: Nervousness

Takuto paced around.

From second to second switched his mood from desperation to insanity, then to anger and raving madness.

Kenji looked like hypnotised after him, just to the place where Takuto stand at the moment and yowled, at the moment he seemed to be angry.

"I… I… I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" he shouted "How could he have done that? What had he thought? HAD he thought!"

Kenji awoke from his stasis when Takuto stood in front of him and looked like he wanted an answer.

"Hm? Huh? What? Please talk clearly to me."

"HOW should I explicate it any MORE clearly!"

"Why are you that angry? I would be just a little glad if my boyfriend is surprisingly alive!" said Kenji with all his self- confidence. A mad Takuto Izumi was very awesome.

Changing his mood Takuto grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat down in front of Kenji, saw in his eyes. That fact confused Kenji "What!"

"I… I'm glad but… please understand what I was passing through! All these years I thought he was dead! But he is alive and didn't even visited me and now he suddenly appears, grinning and thinks everything's all right, but it isn't!"

Kenji couldn't understand how Takuto managed to talk so fast without getting muddled.

"Okay, I hadn't pass through something like that but I can imagine that you feel threatened unfair now. I think, you firstly listen to him, why he didn't visited you, so you don't go mad without knowing what happened to him." Kenji spoke so comforting that Takuto calmed down slowly.

"You're right…" he turned to the armoire "I'm at a loss what to wear…"

Kenji smirked "I come back in a quarter of an hour, see you later!"

A quarter of an hour later…

Place: empty lounge

Perpetrator: Kenji and Katsumi

Victims: A poor nurse and the beau of the week

During Katsumi was flirting to a young nurse, Kenji had the honest and a little perilous job to bring the two reality- less together.

Takuto stood insecure outside the door of the room in which Koji was waiting for him.

He tried to dissemble his nervousness, but to Kenji it was obvious in the way Takuto picked around at his US-Airforce Short and the soccer shirt.

He smiled "Be calm, Takuto, everything is alright, you are a circle, a circle of switching light…"

Takuto looked irritated at Kenji "Are you stoned or something? Let's go.."

Kenji opened the door and led Takuto in where the boy saw a happily waiting Koji, the long hair bound to a braid, he wore one of that usual gaudy silk shirts and a dark jeans, in his arms lay a…… BUNCH OF ROSES!

Takuto became a little pale "A bunch of roses!" **gulp** "You aren't going to check it, don't you? I'm no girl!". Koji laught warm "A very friendly greeting… Izumi…" he walked toward him "I've missed you…" he whispered.

Takutos mostly wild eyes glared coldly at his counterpart "Shut up!" Koji seemed to be shocked.

Kenji tried to avert the worst "Uhm.. boys.. sat down firstly, okay?" He aimed to the chairs in the room "I led you two alone now, and PLEASE don't kill each other… the furniture was expensive!"

Takuto and Koji sat in front of each other at a glass table, the room was dark as the set and the lamps on the walls didn't light it up much.

Koji lay the roses at the table, they looked in each other eyes but didn't say anything.

Outside sat Kenji and Katsumi, who wasn't successful with the nurse, on the green waiting set.

They also looked each other into the eyes. Katsumi started to talk:

"I'm worried Mr. Kenji… what has to be done with Takuto?"

Kenji looked interrogatory at Katsumi "What has to be with Takuto? I don't know… he have to decide this by himself. I hope he listens to what Mr. Nanjo has to say to him"

"Hm.." Katsumi only nodded and then drooped, he knew either they would kiss each other or cut themselves in pieces… it wouldn't be the first time.

Inside, Koji and Takuto kept silent and looked at each other, almost for fifteen minutes.

Koji drooped sadly "You are angry with me, Izumi…"

"Alas!"

"Yes! I'm sorry!"

"About what? About letting me think you are dead? That I'm gone almost insane because of you? That I was pumped with drugs for years and one tried to kill me? FOR THREE TIMES!" Takuto can't sit down with his anger and stood up.

Koji looked sadly at Takuto "It isn't like you say it is…"

"Alas! Why not?"

"Izumi… I love you…"

"You love me? You say it all the time but I noticed not a hell of a lot of it!"

"Please, led me explain…"

"Okay!" he was interrupted by Takuto who sat down again silently. "Explain it to me! Come on! Spit it out, led me listen to why I had to suffer all these years!" His started to get eyes filled with tears, but he quelled this impulse.

Therefore Koji began to cry "Do you… do you believe you are the only one of us who suffered? Everything totally screwed up .."

"WHAT screwed up!"

"It was planned, everything… Katsumi and I had the plan. Hirose was dangerous, he was after me and because of me he was also chasing after you. We should have flown to the USA. The man you should meet was a account executive, he looked like me so that possible observers didn't go suspicious. So died the account executive in the hospital instead of mine. Katsumi saw in which constitution you were. You should be fetched in a Fake-ambulance to the airport, but then everything messed up, somebody ordered a real ambulance and kidnapped you. You were untraceable, because of the chase I had to fly, no chance…. I led search for you all day everywhere! And now you are here, just in front of me" He smiled softly in the sight of the most precious one he every knew, the one he loved since he was ten years old- and for more as ten years the love lasted till now and would probably never end.

Takuto still glared cold at him without turning a hair: "A lovely fairy- tale, don't you think we are to old for stuff like that?"

"But… it is the truth!"

"Yeah, of course!"

A tear ran down his cheek "You don't believe me, why? How should I show you that it is true?" asked Koji.

"If you ask directly…. there is no way"

Koji looked into Takutos eyes "Really?" he said that so innocent and soft, like he ever done. Like he ever managed to irritate with his handsome dark voice and calm him down.

Takutos eyes were filled with tears again, but before he could ran away Koji hold Izumi suddenly in his arms and pressed his lips against the ones of his lover.

Takutos legs turned to jelly but then he broke away from Koji.

"I like to trust you, Koji… but I CAN'T!" with this words he ran out the room.

Koji stood back and slammed his head on the table Idiot…

Katsumi and Kenji saw how Izumi ran out the door, over the floor to his room.

The looked at each other "You Koji and I Izumi, okay?"

"Sure, Mr. Shibuya" sighed Kenji and entered the room Now I have to play relationship- consultor and aren't at least paid for it…

Katsumi went after Izumi, he knocked at his door but entered without waiting of an answer which would have been "No". Izumi lay on his bed, burrowed into a cushion

What should I do? All these years… . Katsumi sat down beside Takuto. "Hey."

"WHAT!" Izumi was usually angry if he was healthy.

Katsumi jerked back waving calmly with his hands "I don't know what Koji had told you, but I think it was the truth. Everything is a little tricked… but you two should be accustomed to be out of reality"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. At first I thought at the end you would kill each other, but now I know that it's not that kind of relationship. You have lost the connection to the outer world. The only ones who can help you is yourselves! You can't make it alone. Think about it, Takuto, whatever you decide, I am your friend and will it be, okay?"

"Sure.."

Katsumi quitted and closed the door after him.

It knocked again on his door, just one hour later.

"Who's there?"

"Koji.." he had thought about running after him one hour long, he was used to that but finding the right way was more difficult.

"What do you want?"

"Is this your room?"

"Come in…"

Koji entered, Takuto sat on the window sill, he hadn't changed since this fateful day two years ago. Koji went to him "I want to apologise"

"For what?"

"I'm sorry that… that I dispose only heartache… I had promised you to became strong, but.. I ruined everything, I'm so sorry!"

Takuto looked out the window and said nothing for a while.

Then he turned his head around and looked in Kojis eyes, he couldn't tell what he was thinking, so Koji looked back with a big question mark in his face.

Takuto laid his head to one side and then he embraced Koji, pressed him to himself. "Koji.."

Kojis looked with saucer- eyes at Takuto, he was more than surprised "But… Izumi…" then he laid his arms around him.

He hadn't expected a reaction like that, it wasn't Izumis disposition…. but he liked it.

A three- quarter year later:

Site of crime: A flat in the middle of Tokyo

Perpetrator: Takuto Izumi and Koji Nanjo

Victim: A poor letter and the last function springs of the canopy bed

Izumi was released months ago, cured.

Now that Hirose was in prison, Koji could come back to Japan with a new identity, new licences and so on.

After Izumi had forgiven Koji they had moved into the flat four weeks ago.

Izumi played soccer again, before his time was gone and Koji did the housework, he had learned cooking a few years ago as Takuto knew.

Takuto came home at six o'clock in the evening, he opened the door and smelled the food, but he saw nobody. What's that? Nobody in here?

Suddenly Koji appeared behind him and pulled him to himself to kiss him.

Izumi: "Mmmpff!"

"Hi Izumi…" whispered Koji, only to find himself pressed against a wall a short time later He hadn't changed at all…. ouch… But he was happy that Takuto didn't slapped him with pans anymore.

Izumi didn't noticed that daily- happening any longer and flattered around with a piece of paper in front of Kojis nose.

"Guess who send this letter!"

"Mhm… Gackt?"

"Nevermind." He mumbled frustrated.

He went to the kitchen and threw his jacket over the back of the chair.

"Heeey" said Koji who was so near to him for a moment… and wavered after him.

"Who send it?"

"Yosuke Kenji"

"Who?"

Takuto sighed "My doctor, you know?"

"Ahh…. Interesting" he crept again behind Takuto who wanted to eat "No step further or…"

Koji jerked back and whined, sat down and began to eat, too.. They ate quietly and Takuto read the letter, when they finished asked Koji "What has he written?".

"He was promoted to the ward physician. And he should greet us from Katsumi."

"I share his happiness" and again grabbed Koji Takuto to hug him.

Takuto sighed resigned and led himself be towed into the bedroom.

Somehow he liked what Koji done with him, and although he didn't admit it for years, he had missed him for the time in the hospital, his hot breath, his voracious eyes, his warm soft hands…he missed him very much.

Takuto had to do a reality check. Now. Before something wicked could happen again.

Midnight

Site of crime: A totally damaged canopy bed

Perpetrator: Koji Nanjo

Victim: Takuto Izumi and an once beautiful new canopy bed

Koji held Izumi close in his arms and smiled satisfied with himself.

"Koji?"

"Yes?"

"I have to talk with you…" Takuto bit on his lower lip, but then looked enthusiastically into Kojis eyes.

"What? Now?" The taller one mumbled sluggish.

"Yes, now, before I can't say it to you forever."

Kojis heart began to beat faster then ever since he saw Izumi for the first time, now he was fully awake again- suddenly he sat bolt upright in the bed. What would Izumi say? These words, he was waiting to hear since forever?

"Koji I.." he hesitated "I… I love you!". Koji was stunned. All this time, this long time waiting, fighting, defending there love, handle him right and convincing him that the love of two boys were nothing wrong, the words plopped out that easy? Not that this would make it any less wonderful…

HIS Izumi said something them, never been saying something before? Almost unbelievable… but still wonderful.

"I.. love you too, Izumi, you know that"

"I know… but maybe you should show it to me once again?"

Takuto pulled Koji down with him to a passionate kiss, which took long time… like their relationship.

THE END


End file.
